Cost of a free upgrade (offered "free" upgrades, e500 "sticker" removed)
 

When checking in for Honduras to Miami flight as aa plat I was asked if I wanted to be upgraded. Ticket agent said it would be free. Later I noticed that American took stickers for it. What gives? this was at the ticket counter. Has this happened to others?

The only free upgrades are on flights under 500 miles, and it involves all elites. As a PLT you have to use E500 stickers for flights over 500 miles, perhaps the TA meant free as in no $ cost to you.

Happened to me one too. "We have space available up front, would you like to sit there"? Of course. Surprise, 1-way upgrades disappeared. This was soon after the merger and I was used to US rules. I guess I learned the same lesson then.

Same. When I was PLT and on an IROPS situation, the call center lady was like "oh I'll put you for upgrade without charging". Upgrade cleared and 5 stickers gone.

I'd contact AA and tell them that you were given false information by the agent. They told you it was free. They did not tell you stickers would be used and you would simply like the stickers to be credited back to your account. I'd also add a suggestion that they train their agents to properly inform customers when they will be taking stickers out of their account.

This is a common event and there are other threads on it. It's happened to me twice. An email with an explanation got my stickers back both times. It takes about a week from when you send in the request.

I did get stickers back. Just wondered if happened to others.

I guess the theme here is when one is offered this "free" upgrade, is to ask if this is indeed a complimentary upgrade, or if it will cost me stickers. Too bad agents are not very clear when doing op-ups, as I myself have been a victim of this as well. I also emailed to AA and received my stickers back.

To play a bit of devil's advocate here...If you would have known the "free upgrade" was going to pull stickers, would you have still done it? Guess what I'm getting at is it the pulling of the stickers for the upgrade or not being told it was going to happen that is the issue?

It depends. Do I have a MCE seat at the window or aisle? How long is the flight? Will there be a meal in FC? I don't remember ever requesting an upgrade with stickers when I was plat/gold for a few years. I always had a decent seat and was well fed at the airport.

Much like the "free" tickets that one books using points these "free" upgrades come from redeeming e500s. ;)

Happened to me too. I was on an award ticket and was upgraded due to oversell in economy cabin. A few weeks later noticed that upgrade stickers were removed from my account for the date of that flight. Called in and agent said wasn't supposed to happen as it was an award flight. They stickers were replaced a few days later.

If was willing to pay stickers for an upgrade, I would have applied for an uprade. I'm not spending $80 to move from exit aisle to bulkhead F on an A319 flying MIA-ATL.

Just wondered if you tried the search feature?